AND OTHER HUNTING ADVENTURES. 161 



hooked up the team and attempted to go, but, alas 

 for our hopes of an early start, one of the horses 

 refused to pull at the very outset in short, he balked 

 and no mule ever balked worse. Johnston plied the 

 buckskin until the horse refused to stand it any 

 longer and began to rear and to throw himself on 

 the tongue, back in the harness, etc. Johnston got off 

 the wagon, went to the animal' s head and tried to lead 

 it, but the brute would not be led any more than it 

 would be driven, and commenced rearing and strik- 

 ing at its master as if trying to kill him. This 

 aroused the ire of the ranchman and he picked up a 

 piece of a board, about four inches wide and three 

 feet long, and fanned the vicious critter right vigor- 

 ously. I took a hand in the game, at Johnston's 

 request, and warmed the cay use's latter half to the 

 best of my ability with a green hemlock gad. He 

 bucked and backed, reared and ranted, pawed, 

 pitched, plunged and pranced, charged, cavorted 

 and kicked, until it seemed that he would surely 

 make shreds of the harness and kindling wood 

 of the wagon ; but the whole outfit staid with him, 

 including Johnston and myself. 



We wore out his powers of endurance if not his hide, 

 and he finally got down to business, took the load up 

 the hill and home to the ranch, without manifesting 

 any further inclination to strike. We reached the 

 ranch about nine o'clock at night, and the next day 

 Johnston drove me into Spokane Falls, where, in due 

 time, I caught the train for home. 



Spokane Falls is a growing, pushing town, and 

 the falls of the Spokane river, from which the town 



takes its name, afford one of the most beautiful and 

 11 



